| BenĂtez admits Liverpool must beat Villa The Liverpool manager says his team 'have to keep winning to get fourth place', starting at Villa Park tomorrowRafael BenĂtez has said that Liverpool's confidence and Champions League credentials will be under scrutiny at Villa Park tomorrow. The Spaniard is considering whether to give the midfielder Alberto Aquilani a second start in four days.Liverpool are five points behind Aston Villa after their Boxing Day win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa's subsequent loss to Arsenal but they have not won successive league matches since September and have several injury problems. Fábio AurĂ©lio and Yossi Benayoun missed the Wolves match, with calf and hamstring problems, and there are doubts over whether Aquilani, who made his full league debut against Wolves, and Fernando Torres can start games in such quick succession."After the win over Wolves we will have more confidence and that will be very good for the whole team but we know we have to keep winning to get fourth place," said BenĂtez."We must discover if we have the confidence now to win there and to get closer to the top of the table. But we know Villa are a very good team who are ahead of us, and one we must beat. To get back to where we want to be we must start winning games in a row. If we do that at Villa it will be easier for us to keep our confidence higher."Aquilani said he had been taken aback by the pace of the game against Wolves, who had a man sent off after 52 minutes."I really enjoyed the game as it was important for me; I want to improve my fitness," said the Italian, who has been dogged by injury this season. "It was so different to anything I have experienced, as it was so quick and you never really had much time. The football we played was so fast. The most important thing, however, was that we won."BenĂtez denied that his guarantee, earlier in the season, of a top-four finish had increased the pressure on his players.He said: "People keep asking me why I said recently that I would categorically guarantee that we will be in the top four – but what do you expect from me? I have to say that."We have confidence and we have to do it because we are a top side."Rafael BenĂtezLiverpoolPremier LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Redknapp won't go window shopping • Wheeler-dealer of old says purchases 'highly unlikely'• 'I haven't got one player I'm thinking of bringing in'As the transfer window opens, Harry Redknapp will be staring at his phone hoping it does not ring. With his Tottenham side seeing in the New Year in the fourth Champions League place, the renowned wheeler-dealer said he is relieved that he has no desperate need to sign players, describing the mid-season transfer window as "a nightmare".Lauding his squad as "terrific" the Tottenham manager said he is confident with the cover he has in every position. This is despite Jonathan Woodgate's continuing absence with a groin strain and the ankle injury sustained by BenoĂ®t Assou-Ekotto against West Ham United, which has resulted in the full-back withdrawing from Cameroon's African Cup of Nations squad and may rule him out until February.Last January Redknapp invested more than ÂŁ40m in his side but he said he was much happier doing no business mid-season unless it is necessary: "Oh, it's a nightmare," he said. "When you are at a struggling club you have got to do something to solve the problem. You have to take gambles because you are bottom of the league."Redknapp, who has signed 19 players in the last five January transfer windows, continued: "Last time I took gambles. I brought [Jermain] Defoe back and [Robbie] Keane came back. I brought [Wilson] Palacios in and they turned us round. I brought better players in because that's what I had to do."Reflecting on his return to Portsmouth in 2006, when he brought in five players mid-season, he said: "We were desperate. They had the worst team I have ever seen in the Premier League and I had to bring in five or six players. We rounded a few up from here, there and everywhere and we managed to stay up."That season Portsmouth finished 17th, four points clear of the relegation zone and last term Redknapp guided Tottenham to eighth, after taking over from Juande Ramos with the side in 20th having taken just two points from eight games. However, this month, with his rejuvenated squad sitting fourth, two points ahead of Manchester City (albeit having played a game more) Redknapp said it was highly unlikely he would be wielding the chairman Daniel Levy's chequebook."At the moment I haven't got one player here that I am thinking of bringing in. Not one player," he said ahead of the FA Cup third-round tie withChampionship side Peterborough United. "I may [sign someone]. You lot might all come back to me in two or three weeks and say, 'I thought you weren't going to buy any'. It may change. But the chances are very, very, very, very slim that I will bring anybody in here. Very slim."We are fourth and I have a terrific squad, I don't know if we will finish in the top four but I don't know where I will get players any better than I already have," he added.If Redknapp were to enter the market he has been told by Levy that any purchases must be paid for by the sale of existing squad members. One possible source of funding is Roman Pavyluchenko, after the disgruntled Russia international once again went public with his grievances.However, Redknapp vehemently denies accusations that he had "mocked" the 28-year-old by telling him he would start against Manchester United in the Carling Cup before leaving him on the bench for the whole 90 minutes of the 2-0 defeat at the beginning of last month. "Mocked is such a silly word to use, I don't understand what you're talking about," Redknapp said. "He said his head wasn't right to play [after Russia had failed to qualify for the World Cup] – that was the problem with him. It's hard to understand."The week before the Manchester United game he came to see me and said he didn't really feel that he could play. I said I was going to play him tomorrow against Man U but he said, 'I am not ready to play, my head is not right'."Harry RedknappTransfer windowTottenham HotspurMikey Staffordguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Burnley name Laws as Coyle's successor • Laws moves up a division after Sheffield Wednesday sacking• Burnley had failed in approach for Doncaster's Sean O'DriscollBurnley have confirmed the appointment of Brian Laws as their new manager on a two and a half-year contract – having been "impressed by the way Brian consistently achieved relative success in his former post at Sheffield Wednesday".Earlier in the day Doncaster Rovers had announced that their manager, Sean O'Driscoll, would be remaining at the club after a failed Burnley approach for his services. O'Driscoll had been considered favourite to succeed Owen Coyle at Turf Moor, but it is understood that Burnley were unable to agree a compensation package.Laws, a former Burnley player, had been a free agent after being sacked by Sheffield Wednesday last month. The 48-year-old will be joined by his former Wednesday assistant Russell Wilcox, while Graham Alexander, Burnley's 38-year-old captain, has been handed a new role as a player-coach.Laws told the club's website: "I am sure there are a lot of Burnley fans asking: 'Why Brian Laws?'"Well let me tell you, I have followed Burnley since I was 16 years old, when I joined the club. I have had an affinity with this club for a long time and I am really honoured to have the privilege of managing it in the Premier League."This is a fantastic opportunity. Owen Coyle has done a fantastic job at this club. Nobody can ever take that away and I wouldn't want to even try. But at this moment in time he has dropped the baton and we want to pick it up with the supporters and drive on over the finishing line, which means we will have stayed in the Premier League."That is our drive and ambition and I will do everything in my power to achieve that because this great club is where it should be."Laws began his playing career at Burnley in 1979 before moving on to Huddersfield, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest, where he enjoyed his best years. He then began as player-manager at Grimsby before taking over at Scunthorpe.After almost 10 years at Glanford Park, he then moved to Hillsborough in 2006 and kept them in the Championship despite their lack of resources. He guided them to a mid-table finish last season but then paid the price for a poor start to the current season and was sacked before Christmas.That has not concerned Burnley, who are convinced they have got the right man. The Burnley chairman, Barry Kilby, said: "He has been the first choice out of some really excellent candidates. We have been really impressed by his demeanour and his passion for Burnley Football Club. He stands out. Being an ex-player and having an affection for us helped as well."I think his record at Sheffield Wednesday, when you look at the budget Brian had to work with, was excellent as well. Burnley, being the size we are, we have to work within our budgets. It is an exact fit for us."Kilby admitted the club did speak to O'Driscoll but insists compensation was not an issue because a decision was made to appoint Laws. He added: "It wasn't compensation, there were no stumbling blocks. We had several excellent candidates, of which Sean was one. It was simply Brian came out in front of the pack and is the one we have chosen to give this job to and I'm sure we'll have success. They're all gambles. You never really know until you get out on that pitch. There are parallels from when we took Owen on and let's hope it is successful."A club statement read: "The Burnley board have been particularly impressed by the way Brian consistently achieved relative success in his former post at Sheffield Wednesday, while operating with one of the lowest wage and transfer budgets in the Championship."The results of a Deloitte and Touche study, delivered at the club's request, confirm that he was top of the list of Championship managers over the period 2006-2009, in terms of delivering the best results relative to financial budgets."There is no doubt Laws is an experienced manager having taken over at Grimsby in 1994, although his time there is best remembered for the plate of chicken wings he threw at the player Ivano Bonetti in a dressing-room row. The plate broke the Italian's cheekbone.Laws went on to guide Scunthorpe to promotion twice in almost 10 years at Glanford Park, but there was controversy there, too, when he was sacked and then reinstated amid a power struggle in 2004.Nevertheless, his appointment represents a remarkable transformation of fortunes for someone who endured chants of "You don't know what you're doing" just weeks ago.Laws added: "I am a workaholic and I have plied my trade in all the divisions. Even though I am only 48, I feel I have a lot of games under my belt and a lot of experience."The only area I have to get experience as a manager is in the top flight. However, you have to start somewhere. I have only had two jobs in the last 13 years and I have been consistent through that period. This is the first time I have been out of work in 30 years, so that tells you I must have something."Brian LawsBurnleyPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Portsmouth's match against Birmingham City called off due to waterlogged pitch Weather continues to disrupt fixture list as watterlogged Fratton Park pitch sees Birmingham City's trip to Portsmouth postponed. telegraph.co.uk |
Paddy Agnew: More match fixing madness in Italy So match fixing is a thing of the past in Italian football? Let us turn the clock back to April 2008, right at the end of the Serie C1 (Third Division) season. cbc.ca |